Houston baseball celebrates a win against Rice on March 6, 2025, at Reckling Park. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
In their 201st all-time meeting, Houston baseball clobbered their way to an 18-1 victory versus Rice at Reckling Park on Wednesday night, improving to 8-4 on the season.
The quick turnaround between midweek games offered Houston a chance to brush off the 9-5 loss to UTRGV on Tuesday night, and it did just that, scoring its second most runs of the season.
Five different players contributed at least one RBI, and a total of 12 batters reached base.
The Cougars put up all of their runs in bunches, scoring four, three, and five runs, respectively, across the first three innings.
Rice managed to quell Houston’s early offensive barrage for the three innings that followed, until redshirt sophomore outfielder Xavier Perez delivered a towering two-out three-run home run to extend the Cougars’ lead to 15-1 in the seventh frame.
A couple of at-bats later, junior infielder Cade Climie hit a three-run blast of his own, launching an 0-0 pitch just inside the foul pole for his second home run of the season.
Houston’s pitching staff blanked Rice’s lineup through five innings, in large part due to freshman starter Kendall Hoffman fanning seven Owls across four scoreless frames.
Rice’s lone run of the contest came in the sixth inning when redshirt freshman outfielder Colin Robson grounded out, allowing junior outfielder Trey Duffield to cross home plate from third.
The Owls tallied two more singles in the at-bats that ensued, but an inning-ending double play put an end to any hopes of a crooked number.
With Houston being up 18-1 midway through the seventh inning, the rule run went into effect, mercifully ending the onslaught.
Perez led Houston with four hits and 8 RBIs to boot.
Sophomore outfielder Tre Broussard’s speed earned him the rare feat of an inside-the-park homerun, Houston’s first this season and the first of Broussard’s career.
Junior infielder Connor McGinnis continued to be an on-base machine for the Cougars, reaching via a single, walk and hit-by-pitch.
Control was an issue for Rice throughout the seven-inning affair, with five different Cougars being plunked, including senior infielder Aaron Lugo, who was hit twice.
Next, Houston will begin a weekend series with Grambling State on Friday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Schroeder Park, where they will also welcome Rice for the continuation of the Silver Glove series on Tuesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m.
